Joshua's Grace

Chapter 14 (2)

"Happy New Year gorgeous." She called happily, "Here to see me or the old hag?" Sasha asked as he walked bemused toward the car.

He shook his head at her, but couldn't stop the smile that escaped. "Happy New Year Sasha. I'm here to see your lovely sister."

"Briar back then?" Sasha yelled loudly from the door way, deliberately misreading his comment, for which she earned a chuckle from him. She dressed like a hallucinating surfie, bantered like a bar room comedian and he liked her.

"Just ignore her." Grace advised him as she too disappeared past him, carrying two large holdalls.

Joshua watched her go. He'd come all this way, waited all this time and he didn't even get a 'hello' kiss? No Happy New Year greeting? She hadn't missed him as much as he'd missed her, that much was obvious. No kiss? Just one kiss? His silent question went unanswered as Ben summoned him over.

"Joshua." Ben called just before his head disappeared into the boot of the car. "Happy New Year son." Ben hauled another two bags out of the car boot, "No point just standing there. Take these." Joshua reached Ben. He handed Joshua two of the larger bags. Joshua took them automatically.

"Where do you want me to put them?"

"Follow the others." Ben said offhand as he reached back into the boot to retrieve another tote bag.

With a bag in each hand, Joshua headed for the house. He met Sasha on her way out.

"Ah hah." She stood at the door, barring his way, "So you do workout. Look at all those rippling muscles." She leaned toward him and squeezed his upper arm, giggling and murmuring in comical admiration, "Hmmmmm. I bet you eat heaps of spinach."

"Leave him alone Sash." Grace ordered as she brushed past her sister to get past them both. Joshua frowned.

"Are you sure you want her? She's bossy." Sasha told Joshua in a mock serious tone, "I mean, I'm younger," exaggerating the movement, she batted her eyelashes at him, "Better character," She winked saucily, "Heaps better dress sense." She ran her hands over her shorts, and then sashayed toward him "And a better kisser." She puckered up. Defensively and automatically, even though he was grinning at her antics, Joshua stepped back and straight into Grace.

"Sash." Grace hollered loudly at her sister, "Let him get by. You are holding him up." Grace had two large grocery bags in her hands, she jostled past Joshua, threw him a disgruntled look and carried on down the hall.

"I was just telling him that I'm a better kisser than you." Sasha told Grace, as she let her pass them. She winked boldly at Joshua. He smothered a laugh.

"In your dreams." Grace retorted totally unfazed by her sister, then she stopped, turned and addressed Joshua, "Are you going to stand there grinning all evening? Those go to the laundry." She told him pointing at the bags in his hands, "Down the corridor, second door on your left." Then she was gone in the opposite direction.

His grin vanished. He stood there for a second muttering under his breath, "She doesn't care that you are making a move on me."

Sasha heard him, for the first time since he'd known her, she turned to look at him with a serious, contemplative expression on her face, "Oh, she cares." Sasha told him quietly and earnestly and then stepped past him, "And if you think that was me making a move, you're naive. I just wanted to know if you cared as much for her." She was gone before he could ask her to qualify that statement. 

He followed the directions Grace had given him and took the bags to the laundry. He left them propped by the washing machine. By the time he returned to the car-unloading-scene it had changed. Grace, Sasha, Ben and Angie were huddled together, laughing and crying at one and the same time. He stood waiting, unsure what to do. What had happened? Were they upset or pleased? Angie noticed him first.